


The Devine hunt

by Specture_night



Series: Worlds spin [3]
Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-10 01:47:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16461101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Specture_night/pseuds/Specture_night
Summary: A young hunter goes into the woods at hunt out of desperation for food. He finds more than he bargained for.





	1. The night hunt

A hunter stuck his flimsy wood bow into the infertile dirt. It was dry and dusty. No nutrients remained in the dirt. No plants flourish within. The farms were barren. Their crops were gone, their fields empty. The animals were dead or dying. The people were dying in droves both from hunger, but also from the plagues that ravaged the land, the lack of money and the primitive medicines didn't help. He stopped outside his home. The crumbling birch posts barely held up the mud ceiling. Since Arge had abandoned the gods 30 years ago, the world had been charged. The world had begun to die just under a year ago. The gods were tired with the mortal. They cared not for them anymore.

He grabbed a bucket and dropped it into the well. The rivers and water were still full. Perhaps Elonie still cared. He drew it from brick pit of water. He brought it inside the shed. He went to his brothers side. Half brother but he still cared for him. His pale skin was green, the veins under his eyes were visible and puffy. He was sweating profusely. His too thin body was covered in sweat. His blood shot eyes were crying blood. The hunter put down his bow and dipped a cloth into the water and held it to the mans forehead. "Aiden. I'm sorry" he said. "Don't apologies brother. I can handle everything. Don't feel guilty". Troy always felt guilty that he could not help him. Aiden didn't mind, he would handle everything. He pulled the threadbare blanket over Troy's too thin body. He looked around. The fire had died low. A rotten table stood in the middle of the one room that consisted the house. Aiden stood and walked to the trunk and splintering cupboard. He dug around. In the trunk was their threadbare, grimy clothes. Their little money and a few cups and plate. Frowning he moved to the cupboard. It was empty. Their was no food. He looked to Troy." I'm heading out" he picked up his bow. "I'll be back with food. I promise". Once outside the wall. Aiden began tracking. The woods were thick. The trees canopy made it darker than usual. Night seemed to reign constantly. The days were gloomy, like the sun could not complete its goal. Crops couldn't grow with the sunlight, not that they could grow anyway. The gods were doing their best to make the world miserable. He had heard what had happened to Mias. How the town was found destroyed. The bodies of people found petrified in some black stone, their souls ripped out. Half of the town drowned by a flood, the rest melted by the acid of a massive scorpion. The god of monsters, the princess had said. Her dark hair dishevelled and tears streaming down her face. Said that her people had tried to infiltrate the gods mountain, attacked the goddess Meto. Her husband and children had not taken that well. The beasts she called children had decimated the city, all under the watchful eye of their farther. And the message.

The messaged drawn on the steps of the palace. The body of the king was found by it. His head twisted around 180 degrees. His greying hair matted in the blood leaking from his throat. Some say the god did that with his talons, some say it was so deep that his head was nearly severed. The villagers had spoken in hushed tones, afraid that uttering his name would bring his vengeance. Some had even tried repairing the stature of Meto. Hoping that it would appease her. The guards had quickly put a stop to that. The village had held their breaths for the next few day, fearing Artax's wrath. He walked through the grey forest, the trees were already beginning to wilt, some force had kept them alive until now, but it was waning. He brushed a piece of red, matted hair out of his face. In the time when they had plenty. He was quite beautiful, he had a strong jaw and muscles. His skin was spotless. Now that lack of food had battered his appearance to a red headed skeleton. His blue eyes no longer shined. He didn’t get sick, the plague had killed people in droves, entirely villages wiped out. His brother was bearly holding on, why was he completely healthy. He needed to know, but how. Up ahead he saw movement in the trees.

The woods were always quiet. He looked down, tracks. He knelt, keeping one eye on the dark tree line. They were the tracks of a large bird. He quietly crept forwards. Lying in some dry undergrowth he peered out. A clearing was before him. A group of roughly a dozen male peacocks were pecking at the ground. Their plooms were dark navy. Black peacocks. They were large birds, one was enough to feed the two of them for a week at least. His mouth watered. He crept back behind the bush and got to a kneeling position. These were sacred to Az’ai. The night.

He remembered her legend. She had once been a young woman. When she refused to wed the king, her loved ones were slaughtered. She had bearly escaped. She wandered for weeks trying to find something. Her heart filled with sorrow and fire. Her want for justice lead her to a cave. Before her was three goblets before her, one was harmless, another poisoned, the third was healing. She had to drink from only one cup. If she succeeded she’d get what she wanted. So she poured the contents of the three goblets into one cup and drank all of it. She didn’t die but she had been weakened. She had survived so she gained the dormant power of darkness and night. The god of the sun wished to kill her. For what was more the opposite of the light than darkness. So he sent a serpent to devour her, but the god legion decided to save her. Taking her to the mountain and she is now goddess of the night. She had gone back and avenged her family, trapping the king in an eternal blanket of night down in the underworld. Spirits of slaughter endlessly tormented him. She buried her loved ones and buried the man she truly loved in the stars. He drew back his bow. Damn her. Her precious God’s had forsakend the world, her birds were better as food than as guardian. He loses his arrow, it sank into the side of a bird. The others took off, their trains flailing. The one he had shot just stood there. It faced him, it didn’t fall to the side dead. He stepped out into the clearing. The bird began to grow. It’s feathers retracted and it took the form of a pale haired woman. She was stunning. Her dark gaze locked onto him. She ripped the arrow from her mid section. It tore her dark shirt. But she healed, the two sides of the wound reaching for each other. “I finally found you, demigod”.


	2. Lady of Darkness

Aiden's arrow was aimed at her too perfect face. He narrowed his eyes at her, the darkness swirling in her eyes seeming to hollow out his soul. She smiled, brushing a piece of silver hair behind her ear. A small peacock feather earring was hanging from her earlobe. Her raven coat swayed around her. A dark shirt and leggings clad her thin body. She was unfairly beautiful. For only a second he was dumbfounded at the sight of her, not only from the transformation, but from how something so physically perfect exist, then the rage came back, the memory of his brother sweating corpse. At the side of her belt was a sword. In the pommel was a blue diamond the size of a ducks egg. The woman's jewels were worth more than the lives of the entire town. Literally, considering how many of them died in the mines. The useless stones were then taken the other side off the wall. They were never seen again after that. "That won't kill me" she said lifting the arrow she had pulled from her side. Silver blood tipped the end. "You know, god blood is very good for healing, helpful with the plague" she said handing his the arrow, whilst snapping the one he had drawn with a quick flick of her lender fingers. It clattered to the ground. She grabbed the bow, squeezing a hand print into the wooden limb. 

"Now ready to save the world?" she asked. His eyes widen "I don't worship you. So no. You can save the world, you made it" she scoffed , laughing. He scowled "you really don't know do you?"

"What"

"That your a demigod". He huffed. Slinging his bow over his shoulder and began walking in the direction the birds had gone. Those birds would be his lunch if it killed him. "No I'm not" he said. His mother was a human, his brother is the most human guy out there. In the best way. His step farther had been human too. All of his relatives were human. "My mother was human, my brother is human, all of my relatives are human". She fell into step beside him "what off your farther?" she asked. She knew something, he glared at her. "Never met him" he said calmly, trying to keep the snap out off his voice. "And why is that?" she asked. He rolled his eyes "I don't know why the bastard wasn't there. My mother didn't know either. Don't you have some new creature to be making out of clay?" he said. Trying not to let his grubby outfit effect his confidence. Lucky for him, the legends said that Az'ai was more reasonable than her piers. She look to the path ahead "your not killing my birds" she said, pulling a picture from her coat pocket. "Though I understand your reasoning. You need food" she drew her bow and pointed it at a gap in the trees. She let it go. A doe fell through the brush, dead. "Food" she said, leaning on her bow. He ran to it and began skinning the animal with his knife. The shot was clean, right through the eye. Her farther, well adopted farther was the god of archery. Her skill was to bee expected. She knelt next to him, her footsteps were silent on the floor. "Do I have your attention?" "Go on" he said, skinning the belly fat of the deer. She held up the picture. He studied it. It was a sketch of an astoundingly handsome man. His muscles were about as defined and terrifically carved as possible. He was like a sculptor had carved all off his muscles from gold. His, dark blond hair was tied back behind his head and his eyes were forest green. Their skin tones were the same...as was the blond in his red hair. He took the picture shaking. "Who is this?" he asked. "Alandir" she said "your farther" He stopped slicing the deer's flesh. It's blood covering his fingers. His breathing slowed. He had never been ill, the plague didn't effect him. He could see in the darkness of the woods. He had an above average muscle tone. Physical perfection they had said. The village he grew up in, they admired his strength. He was stronger than an average human. His blood was a strange colour, too shiny. Blood wasn't meant to be shining. His mind went to her silver blood. It was like liquid metal. "But the world is dying because of you, my brother is dying because of you. I refuse to be one of you!" tears slid down his face.

She knelt and touched his shoulders. His eyes were wide, he let the tears fall. She brushed her fingers through his hair, ignoring the mated mess that it was. He grabbed her hand with his blood covered one. "Tell me, Aiden. What are the conditions in which you live?" He dug his fingers into her hand. "I imagen your wardrobe larger than my shed. We have little money, no medicine. We live in squalor" he didn't know why he was telling her. "Do you want something better?" she asked, holding him close "yes". "I can give you that. You need only to serve us. The humans are keeping things from you. Tell me, what lays beyond that wall?" he sat up, tears drying. "The nobles I guess?" "They are the reason you live like this. Help me and all will be right" "How are the humans responsible?" She stood. "I can't just tell you that. Just know that their is a shield that deflects attacks by the gods. It is too dangerous for us to enter. You must prove yourself first". He scowled.

This bitch only told him half the story and was about to send him on a most likely dangerous quest. Just like a deity. He half to risk his life for some unknow purpose. Not knowing if it was even worth it. Though the idea of a better life for him and his brother would be like a dream. This goddess didn't seem too bad. Well not compared to the others. He stood, his composure returning. "If I do this. You will save my brother" she tilted her head to the side. "How bad is he?" She did like questions didn't she. "On his last legs... I think" "Ek'kla told me he's human. He's lucky to have lasted this long. Your task is this: The naga of Cressia. Have you heard of it?" He sucked in a breath. Another daughter of Meto. Her venom had the power to paralyse a plethora of creatures. She guarded the apples of Cressia. They contained powerful healing qualities. They would save him.

"I'll do it, but if magic is deflected how can they save him"

"They aren't magic, and they will work"


	3. The naga of Cressia

The naga lay huddled in the corner of the cave. Her light grey snakes tail curled under her. She laid her horned head on one off her coils. Her silver hair draped over her head and woman's torso. A few snakes protruded from her shoulders. They curled into a patchwork off coils down her smooth back. The cave wall was smooth against her side. Crystals hung from the ceiling, The light bounced around the roof of the cave, sparkling in the water of the pool. In the middle of the lake was one small island. The apple tree of Cressia branched out to the ceiling. The trunk was old and gnarled. Had seen many centuries. Just like she had. She stared into the water. Her silver eyes stared back at her.The eyes of her mother. She smiled and pushed up from her coils with her four, long arms. Adjusting her chest plate, she dipped a finger into the crystal water. The image of her eyes rippled.

She thought back to when she was a child. Her fathers arms wrapped around her as he cradled her, rocking her to sleep. Pashrana he had named her as he gave her a small bone rattle in the shape of a bird. She still had it hidden in one of the rocky crevasses in the cave. The apples glowed in the light of the cave. The apples of healing, one bite could heal anything. The apples could whip out any plague. The goddess of healing had asked her to guard them. She hadn't seen the goddess for years now. She didn't know why. Laemis was the goddess of healing, surgery, hygiene and pain relief but she was also the goddess of sickness and plagues. She would usually visit once a year, to both see her friend and check on her favourite tree. To make sure he apples of healing still carried their strength. There was another tree. The pears of Nenau. The fruit of plagues. The power to decimate nations with decease. They were polar opposites but both could be as destructive. As such Pashrana and her twin brother Att'ash looked after both trees. Concern was growing in her gut. Where was Laemis? Suddenly, her delicately pointed ears picked up a disturbance outside. She slithered forward on her coils and slithered up one of the walls. curling behind one of the large stalactites. She lay in wait. Her coils folded up like a spring ready to shoot forward. She lengthened her fangs. They gleamed with clear venom. She waited, her nostrils flaring. She smelled a goddess.

Az'ai and a mortal. They were about a mile away. What were they up to? It mattered not, she could handle a god. And her parents recent wrath would lace the humans with fear. She had lost a few siblings to demigods over the years. They had been dealt with in various ways. Boiled alive in venom. Drown in a river of tears. Died of their wounds, like the sun gods demi god. He still hadn't apologies, despite the curse her mother had placed on his demigods. She had sadly ran out of them to curse after the sun married the moon. The destruction of Mias by her farther had shock the mortals to their cores. Let them come.

 

* * *

* * *

 

"So how strong is she?" asked Aiden. Studying the bronze bow she had given him. "Very" said Az'ai in a tone that he found insulting. Was she waiting for him to die. He imagined her sitting on a safe ledge in the cave, cheering on the naga. "She gives me a run for my money, so brute force will likely end in death" he glared at her, she tapped her fingers to her perfect lip. Her eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers. "oh yes, one more thing. Her name is Pashrana, she is the 11th daughter of Artax and Meto so if you kill her you will haft to deal with them later . I'm sure you've heard of Mias" He growled, snatching the quiver of arrows. Not to self, the night is a jack ass! He was so dead. Why was he helping. Oh yes, that's right. She'd probably throw him into hell if he refused. He digested the words she had just said. 11th daughter! "How many kids do they have?!" he screeched. Az'ai grinned, enjoying the opportunity to educate a mortal. "Where you humans have nine month pregnancies, our last only a month" his eyes went wide.

"So you could conceivably have 12 kids in one year?" "That is highly unadvised and dangerous but yes. Possibly more, as we can have triplets or even quadruplets. The record is 6 children. The goddess of child birth had her hands full for that. They were the 6 muses, birthed by the goddess of inspiration." he nodded. "But Meto and Artax have over four dozen children. They have had these over a period of 50,000 years. So they have had plenty of time to raise them and have plenty of time to themselves" his eyes were wide and nodded slowly. He smacked his face. So he could do nothing to this snake woman, as he'd have about 50 other beast and monsters from the lowest pit of hell come eat him. "What is the best way to deal with this?" "Appeal to her. She might listen, if not you will haft to do something else" he snarled, but he choose a different weapon than his bow. "Will I haft to drink form three goblets" he snapped.

Claws appeared on her fingers. He raised his bow. "You do not speak of that, mortal. Or I will punish you the way I did him" she snarled. "Is he still down there?" asked Aiden. "I struck a deal with Xides." she pointed to the starry sky "as long as my love rests in the stars he will remain in hell" Aiden looked up. He traced the constellation. Akend the blacksmith. "He was fae right?" she nodded. "Yes" she said quietly. She looked to him "don't you have an apple to retrieve" he straitened and began walking down the grassy hill. He heard not another word from her ,but he swore he could have seen tears in her eyes. He should have kept his mouth shut.

 

* * *

 

He stood at the mouth of the cave. He drew his bow, the bow was light weight and easy to draw but the strength in the limbs was incredible. He heard no noise, she was waiting for him. He slowly walked forward. His boots echoed through the cave. The grey stone shined from the crystal in the roof. He rounded a corner. A large pool stood before him, the water was so clear, like no water he had ever seen. In the middle of the pool was a single, haggard tree. The trunk was covered in scars. Golden apples glittered in the jade canopy. It looked tired, like it had been there for all of time. He drew his bow, preparing for a large serpent to strike. Two small snakes sprang from nowhere. He shot his arrow. It hit the first snake. It sprouted out off the top of the snakes head. It dropped to the ground and disintegrated into ash.

He backflipped, avoiding the snapping jaws of the second, golden snake. He loosed his second arrow mid flip. The snake hit the ground with a thud, ash spilling to the ground. He landed. He brushed his matted hair out of his eyes. Suddenly, she stuck. He dodged at the last second. The floor of the cave flying to the air. A crater forming. He took her in, the 40ft naga. Claws tipped her four hands. In one she held a double headed axe. A silver blade gleamed at the tip of her scaled tail. She swung her axe down. He rolled out of the way, inches from death. A few more snakes appeared and he stabbed one with an arrow, another tripping him, by coiling itself around his foot, diving, whilst rolling under a swift swing of the naga's axe. Shards of the floor flew upward, scratching his cheek and face. He stabbed the snake around his food. He shot at another snake. It crumpled to ash. Her axe came down again, he loosed an arrow, it imbedded in her arm, giving him time to dodge.He loosed two more arrows and swung himself onto a ledge, A large cut had opened on his arm from her axe. He could handle it for now. But not for long. She ripped the arrows from her arm. Inky, sliver blood flowed down her arm like oil, but the cuts closed soon after. He didn't have that luxury. "Pashrana!" he yelled to her. She roared, shooting a spray of venom from her mouth.

He ran across the ledge as the rock off the cave melted,like the wax of a melted candle. She shot another blast and he hurled himself behind a stone pillar. Some acid sprayed around the pillar and his arm. It was only a drop but he screamed. "Wait, I come on behalf of Az'ai. Your goddess." Pashrana ripped the pillar out of the ground and swung it at him. It sent him flying into a wall. "I answer only to the god and goddess of monsters. My parents." She hissed in a cold voice. Like her throat had been scorched by that the venom she spat. He pealed himself from the floor. He picked up his bow. He threw it away. Her brows rows. She surged forward and grabbed him. She squeezed him in one hand, his arms pinned to his sides. He struggled against her grip. She smiled throwing him into the pool. He looked to the bottom of the pool. It was littered with white stones, no human bones. He struggled to the surface. He swam not towards the tree but to the surface. She frowned. Plucking him from the pool. He was crushed in her palm. He grunted, his ribs groaning "wait...I have come to appeal to you". She loosened her grip . No one had ever come to ask her for help before. People usually came for the apples ability to prolong a humans life and offer them good health throughout it. She dropped him. He gasped on his knees.

"Your a demigod right" he nodded "apparently so" he said. Her shadow loomed over him. She opened her hand and the bow flew from the rubble and into her hand. She gave it to him. "You are here to appeal to me?" He looked up at her" my brother is on his last legs. He is dying of the plague-" "And you are here for an apple to save him" he shook his head. Standing. He drew an arrow from his bow. "I am to prove myself worthy to the gods. I need to retrieve one of the apples and bring it to Az'ai, then he will live" She frowned "you are a demigod, is he not?" he shook his head." We are half sibling, but I don't care. I will save him, even if I half to die to do it".

She smiled and her mass began to shrink. Two of her arms retracted, so did her horns and her tail became legs. Before him now stood a slim, iron haired woman. Her skin was tanned and she wore a marron shirt. A dark, long, slit skirt. It was secured as the waist by a golden belt. The golden snake necklace clad her throat. Her silver hair was tied up in a braided bun. A diadem glittered on her head. The frame was a slim sliver wire and a small ruby glittered between her eyes. "How much do you mean that?" she asked, walking forward on bare feet. "I mean every word" she grinned. Clicking her forked tongue. She extended a hand. A pitch black pare appeared in the palm of her hand. "This is the fruit of the tree of Nenau. It dose the opposite to the fruit of this tree. If you eat it you will die". He swallowed hard. "Didn't think you would need to back your vow did you?" She chuckled" if you eat this I will bring the one of those apples to Az'ai myself" He took it "and make sure my brother gets this" she nodded. He lifted it to his lips. "one more thing. Bring my body back" and he bit into the pear. He swallowed a chunk. His hands flew to his throat. Dropping the pear that rotted the second it touched the floor. He began to sweat, blood spilled from his eyes, nose and mouth. Spilling to the floor. Sterling particles were in the liquid. They shined like god blood, there was no denying it now. Veins popped up in his skin, dark blue vein crisscrossing his arms and face. His skin turned a pastel green and purple like bruised, rotting fruit. Oh the irony. His eyes turning bloodshot. Pain lashed him in waves like the continual striking of a whip against his back. He collapsed to his knees, the room blurring and spinning. He could feel his breath waning, his life was ending. He fell sideways, head hitting the floor. His ear rang, either from the poison or from the impact. His vision went black and he fell into a merciful unconsciousness.

Pashrana laughed as his breathing ceased. His dreamt of nothing, only darkness. A man appeared in his vision, he was tall, broad shouldered. His clothing was thick black armour. He radiated power. Aiden vaguely recognised him, though he failed to remember his name. He knelt at Aiden side. He said only a few words "help us brother". Aiden awoke, like he had been pulled from a vat of water. He had. Pashrana, back in her naga form, pulled him from the lake. He coughed. Water spilling from his lips. He was alive? He looked up to Pashrana. Az'ai was sat on her shoulder, she waved to him, he only snarled at her, which she found highly amusing. "He actually ate it" said Pashrana. Az'ai nodded, jumping down from the serpents shoulder. Apple in hand. "Here you go"

He took it "how am I alive?"

" The water of this lake has similar properties to the golden apples. You proved yourself worthy so I threw you in" said Pashrana bluntly.

"Thank...you " he said. Not sure how to react."Now how do I save the world?"

"30 years ago, the city of Likei lead an uprising against the gods. The other humans agreed with them and stopped worshiping us. Not that we need worship" said Az'ai. He stood up. Studying the apple. It was the size of a pineapple. " they used a technology, that is now wiped off the face of creation, that could kill us. A good few gods, died"

His eyes widen"that's why the world is like this" she nodded" yes, we won and Likei is nothing more than ash now, but Arge has used the essence of the creator god, Simyr to make a shield. He has kidnapped seven gods." He looked to the naga. "Laemis is one of them"

The snake hissed" they are controlling the gods, making them  creat a great city. For the rich people. All of the gods power is directly at the land they own and you have been left to rot."

His eyes widened" so they control all magic in the shield. How will this work?"

"Laemis is in the city, so they need to allow healing magic with in the shield and since no other god has healing magic we can't use it as a weapon. So the apple will still work. Laemis will be weakened and under their control. It's why the plague is only in some areas and not in others. Do you understand?" 

He nodded nervously. "So the shield only allows the magic of the seven captured gods to work and it is exstreamly controlled. But how do I help?"

"Your a demigod, your human genes make it possible for you to use magic in city. We need you to infiltrate the castle and free the gods." He nodded 

"I'm a demigod, if they found out I'd be hanged. I will help you so that my city doesn't die and so I won't have to live in fear" she smiled. She turned and walked to the mouth of the cave. 

"Wait. What about my farther"

She turned "he went missing. Him and the goddess Iillas had been on and off in a relationship for years. They had five children. You were born when they had broken up but a year later they got back together and finally got married. But he went missing a few years after the war. He is presumed dead. It broke Iillas's heart."

He lowered his head and was silent for the rest of the journey home.

 

* * *

 

He came back into his home. The apple was hidden in his clothes. He came inside, locking the door behind him. "Troy. I have good-" he stopped himself. Troy was unmoving. Aiden knelt at his brothers side. Troy was grey. Aiden put his head on his chest. Tears sprang to his eyes. He had been too late. The apple was useless now. He sobbed uncontrollably. Hugging his brothers. "I'm sorry Troy. I'm sorry" he vowed then that he would stop the plague. No matter what and the apple of Cressia was the key.


End file.
